Improvement in horse-rakes



anni didn.

BENJAMIN WEBB, 0E -UNADILLA Ecarts, NEW `voran.

Letters Patent No. 113,121, dated March 28, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN :HORSE-RAKES'.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WEBB, of Unadilla Forks, county of Otsego and State of N ewYork, have invented -a new and useful .Improvement in Horse'- Rakes; and Iglo hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification, in whieh- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the whole machine ready for use, including the improvement.

a is the revolving rake-head;

I) and o are the shafts, to which the horse is attached; and

d e e, the hand-frame, manipulated by the driver;

'lhcse main parts o f the horse-rake are not new, but in common use.

In the common horse-rake, when the rake-head is allowed to-turn over in dscharging its load, the` raketooth, passing next to the lower end of each' of the side shafts c and c on the outside, crowds against the oblique edge of a rigid transverse block, constructed upon the lower ends of these shafts, springing back the shalt itself, and wrenching the connecting-joint. When the rake-head is passedthe shaft springs back again and prevents the rake-head from turning backward.

' lhispressure against theends of the shafts e operatcs injuriously upon the connection ofthe side shafts c with the upright posts g, and renders it,difcult to sustain this connectioin My improvement consists in constructing a similar transverse' block upon the lower ends of these side shafts, except that I'make the outer side of the block straight, and not oblique, and place upon it a flat steel spring, lying lengthwise of the block, (or it may be a coiled spring,) and covering thisspiing with a metal shoe, hung by a working joint at theupper end, and lapping part way round the block.

I his shoe lies upon the spring, acts upon it, and also protects it, and, when lifted bythe spring, presents outward aininclined plane, so that, when the rake-benul revolves, the adjacent rake-tootl1-before mentioned strikes and abrades the inclined plane of this metal shoe. k

This yielding, by reason of the spring actuated by it, allows the head to pass without springing the side shaft at all or straining the connecting-joint; and, when the rake-head has passed, lthe shoe resumes its position by means of the spring, and the rake-tooth lying under the rigid end of this metal shoe 1's pre-4 vented from turning backward. Thus I- am enabled to sustain a good connection of the side shaft with the upright post g, as the movement described does not injure this connection, but operates easily and advantageously.

e, Figure 2, represents-one of theseside shafts, and h, in both figures, represents the spring-block, with the metal shoe upon it. 4

In tig. 2 thelshoe is broken away as seen in the drawing, in order to show the spring k.

This shoe works upon the thorough-'bolt m, near the upper end. y

The spring k is fastened by its lower end to the block, as shown, and, lying in the position shown in the ligure, is actuated -by the shoe when the latter is -struck by the rake-tooth at n, as described. I The shoe, when pressed in by the rake-head, shuts over the block at the sides and works freely. This strap-spring, instead of being fastened to the block,

'- as' described, may be riveted to the' plate ef the shoe, by the rivet-head at t, sol

near its vlower end, as seen that the spring, being attached to the shoe, is put upon the block with it. In thiscase the upper end ot' the spring is slightly curved outward, and, lying against the face of the block, is acted upon in the same manner and with the same effect as before described.

.lhe position of the spring thus attached is shown in the ligure by the dotted line S.

I am aware of the improvement in horse-rakes patented by John Wood, October 23, 1866,'and the rejcted cases of J. A. Taylor, filed August 9, 1,848, and J. G.Burritt, September 6, 1858, wherein springs are used to be struck and pressed inward by the rake-teeth when the rake revolves, andwhieh stop the return movement ot' the rake-head; but as no protection is provided for the springs, and the same being exposed to the direct violence of the movement, and to la very troublesome entanglement with the grass, much difiicnlty in the effective operation of the rake is thereby occasioned. I have met this evil by furnishing the shoe or covering for the springswhich I have described. II do notrclaim the springs asA heretofore used; but J i What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The shoe or covert', made as described, so as to entirely cover the spring, in combination with'the blockv I l: and revolving rake, as set forth. i.

BENJAMIN WEBB. Witnesses:

WILLIAM BAKER, DEXTER GILLMonE. 

